Visit A Brothel Without Ever Setting Foot In One

Photographer Marc McAndrews spent five years photographing 33 of Nevada’s brothels, which are featured in the book Nevada Rose: Inside the American Brothel. McAndrews says the project started with curiosity and evolved into an impressive body of work:

“I had all these preconceived ideas running around my head about what they were like and what went on inside a desert brothel … The women had final say if they wanted to sit for a portrait, and if they said ‘no’ that was that: no asking twice, no cajoling, no pressuring … I approached the brothels the same way I would any other project or assignment, and when I photographed the women (or owners or customers, for that matter), I didn’t want to demonize them for what they did, but I was also careful not to glorify them. I think the fact that I became and remain friends with many of the women that work or have worked in the houses speaks to the honesty of the project.”

Click through to see a few of McAndrew’s images from the inner sanctums of American brothels. [Slate]

Leolah Brown, sister to Bobby Brown and aunt to Bobbi Kristina was kicked out of her niece’s funeral yesterday after verbally lashing at Pat Houston Bobbi Kristina’s former manager as well as sister-in-law to Bobbi Kristina’s mother Whitney Houston. Phew. That was a mouthful.